


Your Sins, My Vices

by Jennifer_Kaid



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Bonding, Bottom Louis, Businessman Harry, Dark Harry, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Intern Louis, Knotting, Love Confessions, M/M, Mating Bond, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Mob Boss Harry, Omega Louis, Protective Harry, Smut, Soulmates Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Top Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 06:25:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19126420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennifer_Kaid/pseuds/Jennifer_Kaid
Summary: Harry's eyes landed on him; a little omega, pure and innocent, looking like his wildest fantasy. Yet there was an edge to the young man. An instinct telling him that the omega was different, not someone who would walk a step behind him and follow him blindly."Stop staring at me like a creep," the omega snapped.•••Louis hates soulmates. Harry has waited his whole life for one.(Read tags)





	Your Sins, My Vices

**Author's Note:**

> I have been writing this fic for almost a month and I hope the work I put in it pays off.
> 
> Additional warning:  
> •Mention of past verbal abuse.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> [Do not translate, copy and/or publish elsewhere.]

 

Harry looked at the blood pooling by his feet, the clogging stench of iron filling the small room. He didn't spare it another look before pulling back his fist and ramming his knuckles into the captive's jaw. The crunch of bone and muffled scream echoed around him, making a rush of adrenaline pass through him.

He wiped off the red liquid on a cloth that one of his men handed him. "Normally, I wouldn't be the one getting my hands dirty," he directed his words at the barely conscious man bounded to the chair, "But you are my special guest, Derek. You know where your father hid my money, so spit it out before you end up having a reunion with him. And think about your children, poor little kids, I would hate if they ended up with no father. Oh, and pretty little Argo, poor woman, widowed at such young age."

The scream of terror and anguish had him grinning in victory. A little pain and threat to the family worked like a wonder. He would have loved to witness the terror in the helpless man's eyes but he could not risk revealing his identity just for the sake of it.

"Speak!" He shouted in the man's face after pulling out the gag.

"It-- it's buried under my-my lawn. Please! Please don't hurt my family! I will g-give it all bac--"

Harry stuffed back the cloth in his mouth before turning to his men, "Find my money, then clean him up and send him back. If he is lying, finish him off. Make sure no one knows about this."

"Yes, boss."

He left after that, the grunts echoing behind him as his men took their stress out on their captive.

He showered at his place before going to his office. When he had started the business, it had been to ideally cover his actual work, but the business took off and he decided to stick with it as well. No harm in making more money. While his men did all the dirty work, he protected his image via his business.

Marcus had been a loyal employee for years. Harry had known him before he had started the company. The man used to work for his father, after his father's death, Harry had hired him and taken over his father's business as well.

So, it was a little shocking when the HR had advised him to fire the man. He had asked for the reason behind such abrupt decision, and it turned out that the man had been acting weird since past few months, depositing half of his income in another account and making arrangements to leave the country without a notice.

He entered the office assigned to Marcus and pursed his lips at the scared look the man gave him.

"We have a few things to discuss, Marcus," he announced, sitting across the man, his whole stance emitting power.

"Yes, Sir?" The man sounded scared, not a trait Harry admired in alphas. _An alpha should only show his weakness to his mate and no one else_ , he had learnt that at a young age.

His patience was already hanging by a thread due to dealing with the weak man and it was close to exploding when the door opened to interrupt them.

"I brought along the files you left at home," the unwelcomed guest spoke in the sweetest voice Harry had ever heard. He wasn't so sure about the _unwelcomed_ when the scent hit him, calming him down in the blink of an eye.

"Louis, I am busy, come back later," Marcus spoke in a hurry, making Harry's suspicion rise.

"I was just trying to help, Dad," the omega replied.

The black mark was hard to ignore, he had seen that same mark each day on his wrist for the last six years. But to see that on someone else's wrist came as a huge shock. He realised then that why the omega's voice and scent had calmed him down when no omega had ever appealed to him before.

Harry's eyes travelled up the young man's arm and landed on his face; the little omega was pure and innocent, looking like his wildest fantasy. Yet there was an edge to him. An instinct telling Harry that the omega was different, not someone who would walk a step behind him and follow him blindly. That was what attracted him the most, the strong front the omega was sporting. He looked back at Harry with guarded and hard eyes, mouth twisted in disgust.

"Stop staring at me like a creep," the omega snapped, dropping the files at the table with a thud before turning back to his father. "I will be back late, don't wait up or worry."

He offered Marcus a menacing smile when the omega was out of the door. Towering above the man, he growled into his face, "You were trying to leave with him, weren't you? Afraid that I might hurt your son? He is my mate. You knew that and you tried to take him away."

"Don't-- please don't- he is innocent. He deserves so much better, reject him as y-your mate, plea-"

"Shut up!" He was fuming with anger. Marcus knew about his real business, knew that he was one of the most terrifying men across the country. It didn't take Harry more than a minute to figure out why the man had been in an urgency to leave the country. "You try to ever come between me and my mate again, I will end you. I will make it seem as if you disappeared in thin air. No trace. I don't give a fuck that he is your son. From now on, he is my mate first, and everything else next. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Marcus gulped, Harry could see the nausea rising at his face.

He patted the man's shoulder and stood up straight, "Good chat, Marcus. Stay on my good side and I'll make sure you live a long, fulfilling life."

-

Harry didn't bother with meeting the boy until next day. Following him after he left the office would have definitely scared the omega away and Harry was taking no such chances.

He parked his car in front of Marcus' house and made his way up the three steps to ring the bell, smoothing his suit as he waited for the omega.

The boy had a frown at his face, it made Harry's lips twitch in a smile.

"Dad is at work, as I am sure you would know," his tone was dismissive. Oddly, it didn't irritate Harry, only made him smirk at the omega's confidence.

"I am here for you. I suppose we missed our chance at a proper introduction. I am Harry."

The omega scoffed, "I know who you are. You are a stalker and a creep. Aren't you even a little ashamed of yourself, showing up at someone's house with an excuse of introducing yourself? Pathetic."

Harry sighed to calm himself, as much as he loved the boy's quirkiness, he despised when someone talked back.

"Believe me, I am no stalker. I have things far more important than to stalk you," he gritted out.

"Then go do them."

"Hear me out-"

"Leave before I call the police," the omega warned, reaching for his phone.

Harry pulled up the sleeve of his suit, showing the inside of his wrist to the boy, "I am here for this. Now would you please listen to me?"

"Wha--" the boy stared at his wrist as if it was offending him. "No, no no no, fuck no," he laughed mockingly, making Harry angrier with each passing second.

"What the hell do you mean 'no'?"

The omega glared at him, "I mean, that this fucking mark is not going to define my life. Now get out."

"This mark defines that we are soul-"

"Don't even say that!" The boy shouted, "I apologise that you had a shitty luck and had the same mark as me, but let me be clear, I am not your mate. This mark means nothing to me. Goodbye."

Harry was shocked when the door smashed close to his face. The audacity of the omega had him fuming with anger. He could have knocked down the door right then, could have threatened the boy or kidnapped him, he was an expert at that, but somehow he refrained from that. He would give the boy the space he was demanding.

His whole body felt as if it was about to crumble to bits. He had been rejected by his mate, after all. His wolf was clawing at his chest, desperately trying to meet his omega. It was only a matter of time before he would be legally required to get the mark removed, they both would.

He called Felix after pulling his car on the road, "Find out everything about Louis Tomlinson."

-

"Louis Tomlinson- born on December 24th, turned twenty-one three months back. That's when Marcus started preparing to leave the country along with him. He was born to Johannah Poulstan and Troy Austin, Marcus Tomlinson is his step father. Currently in between part-time jobs, and has applied for a few internships. He has been searching for apartments to move out of his father's residence," Felix recited from the file he had prepared. "He was an A-grade student at school and in college as well. Has a mixed friend circle, two betas and one alpha. No past relationships, no sexual orientation found."

Harry nodded and gestured him to leave. He poured himself another glass of bourbon, the bottle was almost empty and he was nowhere near drunk, the downside of being an alpha.

When the frustration got too much, he picked up the bottle and smashed it against the wall, dark liquid staining the rug as it pooled there.

"Sir, perhaps you would like to visit the gym," Nathan, his CPO, was at the door, the disapproval clear in his eyes.

He took his word and spent the rest of the evening taking his anger out on the heavy bag.

By the time his head hit the pillow, his body was too exhausted to ponder over the day's scenarios. Still, there was a lingering thought ebbing at the back of his mind that maybe it was karma. He had been cruel for the better part of his life, maybe this was payback.

-

Harry felt as if the world had tilted on its axis, and not in a good way. Everything was disoriented. His wolf was resigned, not glowering in power as it usually did. Maybe these were the signs of his own wolf despising him.

He leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator, not opening his eyes when it came to a halt, he was not in a mood to socialise with his employees.

The change in scent was what made his wolf perk up. He finally lost the battle and opened his eyes to look at the opposite corner. Louis stood there with his gaze fixed on the doors, his stance rigid. The boy was carrying a small bag, Harry guessed it was something his father had forgotten again. Marcus had that habit since a long time.

His instincts begged him to step closer to the omega and ask for another chance. But he resisted it, he had been rejected once, he wasn't going to shatter his existence by doing that to himself again.

He resumed his previous position, trying to block out the omega's presence.

"I was here to give dad his lunch, he forgot it at home," when Louis spoke it wasn't in the harsh tone as the other day, Harry didn't know what to make of it, so he replied with a grunt. A silence passed before the omega spoke again, "I applied here for an internship a few months ago, and I heard back from the HR last week. I will be starting on Monday. I hope that won't be a problem."

So that was why he was being civil. Harry clenched his teeth to refrain from growling. "I don't see why that would be a problem. As you said, you are not my mate."

The doors opened and the omega turned to him, a lingering hurt in his eyes. When Louis stepped off the elevator, Harry let his mask slip, the anger and hurt crawling over him.

He didn't know who he resented more; the omega for rejecting him, or himself for trying to hurt the boy in return.

-

The club was packed mostly with betas on Friday nights. That was the sole reason why Harry visited his club on Fridays, there was no chance of him taking someone home. He was not into any gender really, he had always wanted his mate despite not knowing them. He did of course spent his ruts with an omega, but that was always sex for him, nothing more.

He watched over the club from the VIP section, brandishing a glass of bourbon, his poison. It was the only thing that got him close to being drunk.

Nathan was standing a few feet away, always in his top form to protect Harry against an unknown threat. They had been under wild situations before, being held at gunpoint, or a poisoned drink. Nathan had made his views clear on Harry's choice to visit his club, the CPO would only allow that if Harry stayed in the VIP section.

Harry could always go against him, but the man was as close to a brother as he could have, he knew he could blindly trust Nathan.

Being where he was meant that he could see each and everything going on in the club. So, it was impossible to ignore the small omega standing by the bar along with his friends. The alpha in their group was too close to Louis for Harry's liking.

He winced when the glass shattered in his hand, slicing his palm. Nathan didn't say anything, simply pulled out the medical kit and patched up his cut.

"I could kick him out, the one who's bothering your mate," his CPO supplied off-handedly.

"No need. They would all leave alongwith him. At least I can keep an eye on Louis this way."

"Do you think he knows about your business?"

"No, there was no fear in his eyes."

"You should try again, you have waited too long for a mate to get rejected like this."

"How can I come back from a rejection? It hurts to even look at him."

"I saw the form you got from the state office. You shouldn't rush with your decision, he could come around."

"He has made it clear that he doesn't want me. No point in waiting. I will give it to him on Monday before he leaves."

"You don't know his reasons, give yourself another chance, you have earned it."

He picked up another glass and filled it to the brim before downing it. It became harder for him to sit back and watch when the alpha became handsy with Louis, his other friends had apparently ditched him and Harry was losing his patience.

He stood up when Louis was backed into a corner, the omega definitely looked uncomfortable.

"I will handle it," Nathan held up a hand to stop him but it was useless when Harry growled and pushed past him.

He approached the pair, everyone stepping out of his way as soon as they saw him, his eyes were set on the alpha, ready to rip him apart.

"You want to take your hands off of him, trust me," he warned, low growls escaping his throat.

"Who are you to say that?" The alpha was definitely sweating, even if he was pretending to be bold. Harry came from a line of strong alphas and his presence was enough to create fear inside anyone.

He swung his fist straight into the man's jaw, bones crunching under his knuckles, the cut on his palm reopened and bled through the bandage but the satisfaction of the punch was too great to notice that. "Leave," he gritted into the alpha's ear.

He made sure the bouncers kicked the alpha out before he returned to Louis.

"How are you?"

The omega was looking down at his hands, but was significantly calm in his presence, he noticed.

"I am fine. You shouldn't have done that... but thanks."

"No problem."

No one around them seemed bothered by the recent happenings, lost again in their own world.

"Where are your other friends?"

"They left early."

He hummed and braced himself to get turned down before he asked, "Do you want a ride? I can drop you off."

Louis looked up at him, his baby blues shimmering under the club lights, "If it's alright with you."

He nodded and let the omega walk ahead of him. He helped Louis with his coat and let a smile curl at his lips when Louis held onto his arm.

"You can take the night off, Nathan, I will drive myself back home," he ordered the man and turned to his car after the CPO drove off.

"I didn't notice you were here when I arrived," Louis' voice was barely above a whisper.

"I come here every Friday, this club is mine."

"Oh."

"How are you? Be honest."

"I was a little scared back there. I have never-- I usually try my best to avoid any such thing. No one was noticing, I-I was so scared," Louis' voice broke and Harry felt his heart aching at that. He should have done more damage than just a punch. "Liam is not like that. He is usually calm, he would never do that."

"Apparently, you were wrong about your friend. He did do that after all."

"There must be a reason. He would never do that, I know him."

Harry glanced at him and kept his thoughts about the omega's friend to himself, "I'll take your word for it." He held out his hand, palm up, for Louis to take. The omega laced their fingers together and Harry pressed a small kiss to the back of the boy's hand, watching him smile at the gesture.

"What happened?" Louis was looking at his wrapped hand.

"Just a cut from broken glass."

"It's bleeding. Do you have a medical kit? I can dress it again."

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like it's nothing, it must be hurting," Louis argued.

Harry sighed and looked over at the omega, concern swimming the boy's eyes, "I am fine. I have seen worse, trust me."

"I'll take your word for it," Louis recited his words, smiling lightly.

Harry parked in the same spot he had a few days ago, and turned to the omega, handing him his personal card, "Take care, alright? My number is on it. Call me if you need anything."

"Okay. Thanks, again. Goodnight, Harry," Louis smiled, "And take care of that wound."

"Goodnight, Louis."

-

Harry did not notice the small figure beside him, a little busy with reading Felix's text regarding information about a mob slowly expanding in the city. He had to think fast and act faster to crush the gang while it was still establishing roots. The city had been his for almost seven years, he could not let any pests grow in it.

"Good morning," an angelic voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head to look at the omega standing beside him, looking back at him with a shy smile.

The elevator was apparently becoming their spot.

"Good morning," he smiled back, pocketing his phone to give his undivided attention to the boy.

"How is your hand?"

He showed his palm to the boy, the cut completely vanished, "All better."

Louis rolled his eyes but still had a smile, "Alphas."

"Is that supposed to offend me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe."

"You wouldn't want to offend your boss on the first day, would you?"

"Why? Will you fire me?" Louis teased, "I will file a law suit if you do. State that you fired me on unbased grounds, maybe because of my gender."

Harry pressed his lips together to contain the smile threatening to break out. "You are a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Why? Afraid you won't be able to handle me?" Louis challenged and stepped off at his floor.

"Good luck on your first day," Harry avoided his question, it made him full of hope.

"Thank you, Sir."

The smile on the omega's face was one in a million.

-

The first thing he had done after entering his office was to shred the documents regarding his legal separation from Louis. Nathan was right, he deserved a chance at happiness with his mate.

After that he had had a long conversation with Felix. They came up with a plan to dismantle and throw over the gang before it caused any trouble. Harry might be a mob boss, might have had too much blood on his hands, but he had never hurt an innocent citizen. Only the ones who crossed him were the ones who ended up with an ill fate.

Most of his days were spent at the office and usually he was too busy to even look up from work, but that day was uncharacteristically long and slow. It had to do with the omega working a few floors below him, he was aware of that, but he didn't know what to do with that knowledge.

When the day got too excruciating for him to carry on, he gave up and rode the elevator down to the ninth floor.

It was not suspicious that the owner of the company was wandering through the marketing department, he did surprise inspections often enough that the employees were only a little shocked.

They reeked of fear, though, Harry could smell it. As much as people respected him, they also feared him. But there was one particular scent that stood apart, the one that was rid of any malice. It was sweet and made his head dizzy. He walked through the department to reach the owner of that scent.

His omega sat poised in the meeting room along with other interns, taking down notes from a presentation.

"Parker," he addressed the man who was concerned with the new interns each year.

"Mr. Styles," the man stood up from his place, offering it to Harry but he raised a hand to decline it. "What can I do for you, Sir?"

The interns followed Parker, standing up as soon as Harry had entered the room.

There had been over four hundred applications to enter the interns' programme this year in marketing. Harry was proud of his omega, the boy had made his way on his own, snatching one of the only six seats available in the programme.

His eyes were fixed on the boy, he had tried to be subtle, had tried not to gawk at the boy, but he couldn't help himself.

"You could start by introducing your interns," he replied before anyone caught onto his staring.

He was not particularly interested in getting to know the interns, he just needed this time to stare at his mate. He tried to be polite, though, nodding along as Parker introduced them.

When Louis' turn came, Harry felt a warm sensation at his mark, his eyes snapped down and he watched as Louis caressed his own. He cleared his throat and looked at the last intern.

"I expect you all to work hard and do your best because only one of you will be getting the job here at the end of this programme. We will, of course, recommend other companies to hire those who aren't selected, but then you can only dream about the benefits we offer. The six months you work as an intern will be tough and will test your knowledge to its best, but in the end it will be worth it. Each of you has been selected specifically for this one job, so act like it is yours starting today. And trust me, I have no favourites," he warned all of them. Louis might be his mate, but he was in no way going to mix his professional and personal life, not when Louis was capable of fighting and getting the job himself. "Do not disappoint me."

There was a new sense of chase emitting from the interns and he liked that. He was not lying when he said that only the best one would get the job.

-

"Was that speech a warning for me?" Louis never failed to sneak up on him. The omega bounced on his heels once before dropping a tea bag in the cup.

He looked around to find the cafeteria almost empty. "It was for everyone."

"Seemed like you were warning me that you won't choose me."

"I never said that and that is not my intention. I will give the job to whoever deserves it."

"So, it would not affect your decision whether we date or not?" Louis inquired.

It ticked Harry a bit. If Louis would date him only for the job, then maybe he had been wrong about the omega. "Not in the least bit. You don't have to pretend to care for me just for the sake of the job. Do your work good enough and maybe you will get it."

He was about to leave when a small hand curled around his arm. "Don't be so quick to judge. I know how it feels when you find out that you had the wrong impression of a person," Louis stepped closer when he turned around to face the boy. "I asked because I don't want you to choose me simply because I am your mate. I want you to choose me because I am the best person for the job. And believe me, I will prove it to you that I am the only right fit," the boy smirked.

It brought a smile at Harry's face, he was glad that he wasn't wrong about Louis, the boy was confident and was ready to do honest work.

When the realisation of Louis' words struck him, he spoke before the omega could leave, "Does that mean you will let me take you out on a date?"

"Pick me up at six," Louis winked and left Harry in a daze.

-

Harry was clueless when it came to dating. He had experienced a lot of things, but dating wasn't one of them. After a lot of thought, he settled on something he hoped the omega would enjoy, given his fierce take on everything.

He knocked at Louis' door exactly at six, expecting to be greeted by the smiling young man, only to be let down when a woman answered the door. By the looks, she looked like Louis' mother.

He put on a smile and greeted the lady, "Hello, ma'am. I am Harry."

"Oh," recognition flooded her eyes, and her curious look dissipated into a guarded one, similar to the one Louis used to wear around him, "I am Johannah. Louis told me about you. I will let him know you are here."

"Thank you."

She gave him a pressed smile before shutting the door. Harry was a little shocked by her actions, but they were same as of Louis' reaction upon first meeting him. The untrusting nature, the resent, they were hard to ignore.

"Sorry about that," Louis' voice pulled him out of his thoughts, "To have kept you waiting."

"It's alright," he kissed the back of the omega's hand, "You look lovely, as always."

Louis blushed at the praise, ducking his head to avoid Harry's gaze, "Thanks."

"Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Harry opened the gate for him before going to his own side.

"I don't like surprises. I like to know things in advance," Louis told him as he pulled on the road.

"Maybe we'll have to work on that habit."

"Maybe not. You could just tell me."

"You will find out in a few minutes. Let's wait until then."

Harry could feel Louis staring at him but he kept his eyes straight ahead.

"Ugh, fine," the omega groaned, "I don't like you very much right now."

"No problem. I will fix that. And just so you know, I like you too much," Harry smiled.

-

Harry was proud of himself when he saw Louis' reaction. The omega's eyes were gleaming in excitement, they truly were soulmates, Harry had no doubt.

"I don't know how you came up with this, but I think this is the best idea for a date. Will you show me how to use a rifle, though?"

"Of course, darling," he proceeded to pick up the rifle and explain Louis the different parts of it.

They were standing in front of the targets at the shooting range, Harry had to pay five times the amount just so they could be alone. He could have taken Louis to his own private range, but that would have been suspicious, so he was stuck with the public one.

"Now," Harry positioned them so that Louis' back was to his chest, he showed the omega how to hold the rifle and how to take an aim before pressing the trigger. The bullet went right through the bull's eye and Louis was practically vibrating in his hold. "That is how you shoot."

"Holy shit! That was amazing!" Louis grinned, "Show me again please."

Harry was happy to comply, to have the omega close to him as he showed him the same process numerous times.

"Would you like to try on your own now?" He asked, already aware of the omega's answer.

"I could, but I like having your arms around me," Louis bit his lip and shuffled closer to him to act on his words.

"I thought you didn't like me," Harry teased back, already putting the rifle down to pull the boy to his chest.

"I might have changed my mind," Louis whispered, peeking up once before dropping his gaze to Harry's lips, "And right now it is telling me to kiss you."

That was all Harry needed before he locked their lips in a slow, sweet kiss, tasting the boy for the first time and never wanting to forget it. He would bottle the taste in a jar if he could, the boy was too sweet, sweeter than honey and it drove Harry crazy.

Louis made a noise of need and comfort, a sound Harry never thought could be heard. He had read that omegas would whine in a high pitch when they approved of their mate, but he never thought it would sound so beautiful.

He licked into the omega's mouth, soothing the boy by running his hands down his back.

"We didn't even wait for the evening to end," Louis giggled after they broke apart, and Harry fell in love with that sound.

"I don't mind," he smiled back, kissing the omega's cheek and settling them into an embrace. He nuzzled at the spot where he would leave his mark in the plausible future and felt Louis laxing into his hold. "You should try to take an aim, though."

"Two more minutes, absolutely love to be in your arms."

-

They had dinner at Harry's favourite place. It wasn't some high-end, fancy restaurant, no. It was a cozy diner just a few blocks from Louis' house.

"How come I never knew of this place?" Louis complained as they made their way to the car. "I live so closeby and never heard of it. That's so not fair."

"I take it you liked this place."

"I loved it! I have never had such good food."

"Really? You should taste my meals."

"Are they as good as the casserole I just had?"

"Maybe even better."

"Invite me over and we'll find out," Louis winked and turned his head to look out the window.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What changed your mind? You were quite clear about not wanting to do anything with me," Harry asked, his curiosity finally got the best of him.

Louis was quiet for a while and Harry thought he wasn't going to answer, but then the omega looked at him with soft eyes. "You respect me. When I said that I didn't want anything from you, you didn't force me or lash out at me. You gave me my space. And then, on Friday night, you protected me, made sure I was alright, and not once reprimanded me for being at the club. You see me as a person, and not just something you could control or order around. You respect me."

Harry pulled the car to a stop in front of the omega's house and leaned over to kiss the boy's cheek, "Thank you, for giving me a chance."

"No, thank you for not rejecting me even though I was a complete prick to you."

"Come here," Harry pulled him close and sealed their lips together, "You have the right to act whichever way you want with me, you are my mate after all."

"I am your mate," Louis agreed, smiling shyly, "Feels weird to say that, but a good kind of weird."

"This evening ended too soon," Harry murmured, kissing him again as Louis happily leaned into it.

"I feel the same," Louis whispered, "I would invite you in, but I don't exactly get the privacy I want."

"Next time we will go to my place then."

"Sounds great," Louis giggled.

"Let me walk you to the door."

"A proper gentleman," the omega smirked, "I am starting to like you more and more."

"Thank goodness," Harry smiled at him, kissing him one last time before they said their goodbyes.

-

The morning was a bit disappointing. Not that anything bad had happened, other than the fact that Harry couldn't catch Louis alone in the elevator. They had been accompanied by a few other employees, so it was only natural that Harry's mood was a little sour.

Even though the omega had stood pretty close to him, he didn't get the chance to actually talk to the boy, or kiss him, if he was being honest.

"You look like someone dumped their trash in your yard," Nathan commented as soon as he walked into Harry's office.

"Piss off," Harry grumbled.

"Who put you in a bad mood? You were fine when we left for office."

"It's nothing."

"I assume it has something to do with that omega."

Harry sighed deeply before nodding once, "Lately, everything is concerned with him. He has me thinking of him all the time."

"Are you distracted right now?"

"No."

"Good. I have news." Harry sat up straight at that. "The leader of the gang is hard to locate, they will not leave the city. They have threatened to attack your clubs. It is not confirmed but they might know about Louis, that is not good for us. What is the next order?"

"Time to show them who the boss is," Harry gritted out, "Find their leader and bring him to me. Alive, if possible. I will show him myself what we are capable of."

"Yes, Sir," Nathan left after placing a file in front of Harry.

It was from Felix. After the incident in the club, Harry had taken it upon himself to know about everyone in his mate's life. He started with Liam Payne, the alpha who was on top of Harry's shit-list.

What bugged him after going through his information was that the guy turned out to be decent and had acted strangely because he was close to his rut. It didn't give him an excuse to get handsy with an omega, though. So Harry was still unsure of his character. If the guy was close to his rut, he should have stayed home or have had enough self control to not threaten others with his presence.

The other two were Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, they had been with Louis since childhood and the three were pretty tight. But if that was the case, the two shouldn't have abandoned the omega at a club full of strangers and an alpha close to rut.

The ringing of his phone made him put the file down before he could reach the omega's mother, another person Harry was unsure of.

"Hey, babe," he smiled as soon as he saw who was calling.

"Hi!" Louis' voice was cheery, he could picture the omega smiling. "You aren't busy, are you?"

"Not for you."

The omega giggled before speaking in a low voice, "I miss you. Is it weird?"

"I miss you as well, so I don't think it is weird," he assured, "Where are you?"

"In the men's room."

He laughed, picturing Louis hiding in one of the stalls.

"Don't laugh at me," the omega whined, "I was missing you."

"Alright, my bad. By the way, it is not a good thing to call your mate while you are supposed to work. Should I report you to your boss?"

"You could, but you see, I am at really good terms with the owner of the company I work at, so I don't think I would get in much trouble."

"You might be wrong there, babe. The owner of the company wouldn't want his employees to be slacking. Should I come down there and personally escort you out?"

"Don't be mean," Louis complained, "I just wanted to talk to you. Guess you are too busy for that-"

"Hey, I was only joking, don't get upset. And I am not busy at all."

"Okay, I will forgive you this time. If you are not busy then will you let me take you out for lunch?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" He teased the omega.

"Say yes before I take back the offer," the boy threatened.

"Yes, of course," he laughed, "I would love to join you for lunch."

"Good choice. Meet me at the café two blocks down at lunch break."

"So, I won't even get picked up. How sad."

"Yeah, yeah, so sad. The world isn't fair, you will have to walk for two blocks all alone." Harry could picture the omega rolling his eyes.

"Ah, such a cruel omega," he tsked.

"I am worse than cruel, darling, you will find out," Louis imitated a posh voice, "I should get back to my desk before someone thinks I am constipated."

"What a nice thing to tell your mate only after one date," Harry shook his head with a smile.

"Well, get used to it. I speak whatever comes to my mind. I have no filter, I am warning you. Like right now, I wish you were in this stall with me, so that you could teach me some naughty things."

"Get back to work already!" Harry ran a hand down his face, groaning when he pictured what the omega had just said.

Louis' voice was edging towards sultry when he spoke next, "Are you thinking of all the naughty things you would do to me, or make me do to you? I am fine by either."

"Louis," he growled, warning clear for the omega.

"Fine! I will stop now. See you at lunch!"

He tossed the phone on the table and picked up the glass to take a sip of water, urging the swelling in his pants to go down. The omega would surely be the death of him.

-

On Saturday morning Harry was standing at the omega's door right at time. During their lunch at the beginning of the week, Louis had told him that he was moving out of his parents' house, he had put down the lease for a two bedroom apartment and had enough savings to pay rent for the next few months.

The alpha wanted to tell him that he wouldn't need the apartment for that long since Harry was planning to ask him to move in. But then he remembered that the omega always did things in his own time, so he refrained. A few more months wouldn't hurt, he had waited for years, he could wait a couple months more.

Louis' smile was beautiful, always reminding him of how lucky he was to have the omega in his life.

"Someone is on time," Louis commented and leaned up on his toes to press his lips to Harry's.

Harry guided the boy by the back of his head, kissing him deeply, "Goodmorning, lovely boy."

"Goodmorning, darling," Louis greeted and pulled Harry back into the kiss.

They were separated when someone cleared their throat. He looked over to find the omega's friends standing not too far from then, Liam in particular, looked highly uncomfortable.

"Great! Everyone is here. Now we can start bringing the boxes down," Louis announced and stepped aside to let them all in. "Everything is mostly packed, we just have to put them in the truck. Oh, and I should probably introduce you. Harry, these are my friends, Niall, Zayn and Liam. Guys, this is Harry, my mate. Now that that's over, let's get to work."

Harry couldn't help but smile at his mate's antics.

"He is always like this, you will get used to it," Niall commented. Harry just nodded before following Louis upstairs, he couldn't bother himself to make small talk with people he barely trusted.

"Let me get that for you, Lou," Liam was beside the omega in an instant, trying to take the heavy box from him.

"Get another box, Liam. I am not dainty, I can carry this one."

Harry smirked at the scene, it was quite clear that Louis was struggling to lift the box but the omega was stubborn as hell.

"How about you tell us which boxes to carry downstairs first? You can stand by the truck and make sure everything is placed accordingly," Harry suggested, giving the omega an out without being embarrassed.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs then," Louis kissed his cheek before leaving.

"He never listens to us," Zayn spoke for the first time since arriving.

"Well, he has to listen to his mate," Liam commented, Harry noticed the snide in his voice and turned to face the man.

"He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to," he refrained from mentioning the last time he had seen Liam, "I would never ask him to do anything he is uncomfortable with." His words made Liam look away with guilt but Harry couldn't care less about him.

He carried a box to the truck where Louis was waiting and growled playfully at the omega who had hopped on his back.

"Oh, look at you, such a strong alpha," Louis giggled, refusing to let go.

"You are just making us late, love. I am absolutely fine with this but imagine what your friends will think when they see you," that was enough to get Louis off of his back.

"You are gonna stay over, right? After everybody leaves, you are going to spend the night at my new place. You can't leave your omega alone at a new place. What if I get scared?"

Harry kissed the boy's pout, "You don't have to convince me, love. Of course, I will stay."

"Thanks. Now, go get those boxes down."

-

Louis' parents had came along to help in setting up the omega's appartment. With all of them working, they were done by evening.

"I will order take out for all of us," Harry told Louis before excusing himself and going to the hallway.

While coming back to the den, he overheard Johannah and Marcus in the kitchen.

"I am so worried for him. He has never lived alone, and he found his mate, everything is happening so fast. We didn't even get to know this guy, what if he is not right for Louis? What if he is like--"

"We have to trust our boy," Marcus interrupted her, "He knows what choices to make. We have raised him good. He has never let us down, and he knows how to hold his ground. I have known Harry since he was a kid, he will never hurt our boy."

"I just don't want him to live in a fantasy because he has found his mate."

"He knows the difference between reality and fantasy, between right and wrong, he will be fine. He is our Louis."

"You are right. I have to stop worrying so much."

"Let's go back, okay?"

"Yeah."

Harry stepped back before they could see him. His suspicion about Johannah was getting deeper, the woman definitely had some secrets. Why was she not happy about his son finding his mate?

-

They had the place to themselves by eight in the evening. Louis' parents had been the last to leave.

Harry pulled the omega close and kissed him as soon as the door was locked, "Congrats on your new place, my dear."

"Thanks," Louis whispered and locked their lips together again. "I am going to shower, you are welcome to join," the omega winked before walking away with radiating excitement.

Harry was quick to follow him, watching star-struck as Louis shredded each article.

"Don't keep standing there, take your clothes off," Louis gestured to his body and stepped under the spray.

It snapped Harry out of his stupor, putting him in action to undress himself. He noticed Louis' reaction, how the omega's eyes were fixed on him, rolling down the length of his body. He crossed the distance between them, trapping the omega against the glass wall.

"You think you are going to be the one to order me around?" He bit under the omega's jaw, getting a moan out of him.

"Yes," Louis whined when Harry took his nipple between his teeth. Water dripped down his hair and onto Harry's back as the alpha continued to assault his chest with bites.

"Let me," Harry picked up the flannel, ignoring the omega's call of distress by lathering him with soap.

"You are mean, Alpha," Louis' voice was between a whine and a sulk, a manipulative technique that the omegas had mastered and used for ages.

"And you are a manipulative little wolf," he countered, "Calling me by my title to get me into bed, huh?"

The omega grinned at that, snaking a hand down Harry's front and stopping between his legs. Harry breathed through his mouth as the omega cupped his balls, giving them a firm squeeze before wrapping a hand around his dick. "Is it working? I think it is. Take me to bed, Alpha. Please."

Harry made a quick work of cleaning them both and drying off before carrying the omega to bed.

Louis settled at the centre, opening his legs in invitation while sneaking a hand down to his cock. Harry watched him for a while, enjoying the show the omega was putting on for him, before joining him on the bed and hovering between his legs.

He kissed along the omega's thigh, pushing his hand away from his cock to take it between his lips instead. The loud moan was a blessing to his ears. He took his time to lick at the head and suck each ball before going down on him completely.

The scent of slick was clouding his brain, his omega's scent was one to die for, it was better than any fragrance, and the noises coming out of the omega's mouth were akin to heaven bells.

He circled Louis' rim with a finger, noticing how the omega's breath hitched into his throat and his eyes rolled back as soon as Harry pushed it inside. He rested his cheek at the omega's thigh and watched entranced as the young man's hole swallowed up his fingers eagerly, all three of them. Louis was leaking as if a wolf in heat, pushing down at his fingers and begging for more.

"Quiet, my pretty wolf. I will give you anything you need, but you have to wait," he assured the panting omega, kissing him softly.

Harry himself was hard as iron, his cock aching for his mate's hole but he took his time to lick every inch of the omega's sunkissed skin.

Louis turned on his front and raised his behind when he got the chance, presenting himself for the alpha.

"You want it like this, baby?" Harry asked in a shock, the boy never ceased to surprise him.

"Yes, please, Alpha. Want you to knot me so good, want you in deep, please," Louis begged, whining just to mess with Harry's head. The omega bit his lip when Harry passed the ring of muscles, clutching the sheets in a vice grip as the alpha kept going deeper inside him. "Yes! Oh, god!"

"Fuck!" Harry growled into the omega's ear before biting down at his shoulder when Louis clenched around him. He covered the omega's hands with his own and kissed his neck before pulling out and going back in, relishing in the omega's whine mixed with pain and pleasure.

Harry started a slow pace, making Louis gasp with each hard thrust, crying out whenever Harry hit the sweet spot inside him. The omega's eyes rolled back as Harry started to build a fast rhythm. The whines from his omega filled him with euphoria. Louis kept rambling to go faster, begging with a constant string of _more, more, more._

The omega came with a shout, his whole body convulsing as he shot his load on the mattress. Louis whined and clenched around Harry when the alpha kept fucking him through his orgasm. Harry covered the omega's whole body with his own and kissed at his neck, biting lightly at his scent gland to establish a temporary connection.

"Knot me, knot me, please! Want you to come inside me!" Louis cried out, pushing back his hips to meet Harry's thrusts.

"Holy fuck-- Lou!" Harry slammed in one last time to pop his knot and filled the omega with his come before collapsing on top of him.

They caught their breath and Louis kept humming in approval whenever another shot of come filled him.

Harry turned them on their sides once he could feel his limbs again, kissing the omega's neck where he had left a fading mark.

"You alright, love?" He asked in a husky voice, his wolf still reeling from the events and refusing to tame down.

"Better than alright," Louis smiled, clenching around Harry to show what he meant.

Harry growled at him with a grin, watching the omega burst into giggles, "Minx." He sneaked his hand between Louis' legs to collect the come and slick, and brought his fingers upto the boy's lips.

Louis greedily licked his fingers clean and Harry couldn't help himself when he kissed the boy to get a taste himself.

-

They had their first fight in the next few weeks when Louis refused to ride along Harry for work.

"I don't understand what harm it will do?" Harry grumbled, pulling on his tie to fix it.

"What harm? It will ruin my career!"

"Oh, you mean I will ruin your career."

"No, I didn't say that. Don't twist my words," the omega gritted out, "I don't want people to think that I slept with my boss."

"But you did! You slept with me. Why are you trying to deny it? Are you ashamed of me?"

"Harry, enough! If anyone saw us together, they will think I am doing this to get the job. You are making a big deal out of this!"

"Am I? Or is it just the fact that you never wanted to be with me? Going public would make this too real, huh."

Louis clenched his teeth before sighing, "I can't deal with this right now. I can't afford to be late for work, I am not the boss. I will see you in the evening."

Harry watched Louis leave the room and didn't make a move to stop him. When Louis had first seen his house, he had loved it and was practically living with Harry even though he had just got his own place, not that Harry minded.

He thought they had been moving forward, but Louis refusing to even drive together to work had him thinking differently. Maybe the omega, after all, wasn't ready to accept that they were mates.

It bugged Harry that he was already this committed to the young man, already felt like Louis was his whole world, while Louis was several steps behind him.

Or maybe he was thinking too much, reading too much into it.

He finished getting ready and was about to follow after the omega when a text diverted his attention. It was Samuel, the guy who notified him if even the smallest thing seemed suspicious. And this was something big.

Someone had broken into Louis' apartment last night but nothing was out of place, and nothing extra was left behind. Their intention was clear; to kidnap the omega. Harry was reeling with anger, he could feel his wolf trying to take over in order to rip apart anyone who had dared to hurt his mate.

His nails were already elongated by the time he managed to calm down his wolf. He took a deep breath and pushed his wolf back inside, convincing it that he would kill the one who had tried to mess with him.

He left the house and drove as fast as he could to where he knew the man would be. Samuel had made sure to capture the guy who attempted to take his omega, and had bound him to the chair in one of the hideouts Harry's gang used.

Harry was seeing red by the time he reached the hideout. He opened the door with a loud bang against the wall and stormed over to their captive, landing a square punch to his jaw without even a single question. The sound of agony from the man's lips and the sight of blood tamed his temper down a notch.

"Name!" He barked at the man, landing another punch to his eye when the man spat at his feet. "I could torture you in a million different ways, and you would beg the gods that they rather let you die," he warned, gripping the man's jaw and digging his nails into his skin.

"I will not betray my leader," the man gritted out.

Harry let out a laugh at that, "Don't worry about being loyal. Your leader will be here with you in no time, bound to another chair just like you and I will enjoy torturing you both to no end."

He glanced where Samuel and Nathan were standing and snapped his fingers. Samuel dragged the tank of water in front of the captive while Nathan placed different size of knives on a table nearby.

"Now," Harry turned back to the bound man, "You see, I love to know the name of the one I am torturing. It gives me a sort of pleasure which is hard to explain. We could make this easy, you could be honest with me and answer my questions. Or, I would make your stay here worse than hell."

When the man showed no sign of compromise, Harry sighed dramatically and stepped closer to him, their faces an inch away, "You are adorable." He grabbed the smallest knife and jabbed it straight through the man's thigh, relishing in the scream. "Oh! Don't cry out just now. You said you would be loyal, don't start breaking this soon. I just used a small knife. I am sorry that it hurt," he mocked.

"So... your name?" He asked again, twirling a slightly bigger knife in front of the man's face. "You are being a bad guest. I guess I have to appease you more before we start interacting."

Instead of plunging the knife into the man, Harry opted to dunk the man's head in the tank of water, keeping him submerged for half a minute before bringing him up and repeating his question. He kept doing that again and again until the man's face started turning blue and he finally cracked.

"James! My name... is James...," the man gasped.

"See! This wasn't so difficult!" Harry tone was too sweet, his grin maniac and a thunder in his eyes. "We can be civil. Next question; who is your boss?"

James laughed, "I thought you were going to capture him. How could you if you don't even know his name?"

"Don't act smart, darling," he clicked his tongue, "He will be here soon. We are just passing time. Would you rather I do it by making you bleed? Because I am open to a lot of options."

The terror in his captive's eye made his wolf growl with power.

"Your boss..."

"Dmitri," James supplied in defeat.

"What does he want?"

"Everything that you have. You don't even remember him, do you?" James scoffed. "He was amongst your men, he helped you gain power, he followed you blindly. And what did you do? You cut off his hand and left him on streets for one single mistake."

Harry remembered, of course. He never forgot anything. He remembered how he had taken a Russian boy under his wing and trained him to be one of the best. He also remembered how Dmitri had shot an innocent little girl when he missed the target who was supposed to be a corrupt official. He had chopped of Dmitri's right hand and had kicked him to curbs.

"You think you are some kind of hero or something, taking out the bad people but you are just a sick bastard with a damaged brain. So what he killed a girl? Not that that matters-"

"She was innocent!" Harry growled and rammed his fist into the man's stomach, his voice echoing inside the walls. "And you are sorely mistaken if you think I associate myself as a hero, I am every man's worst nightmare."

James coughed out blood and Harry could see his whole body tremble. He watched in mild amusement as James tried to cover his fear before he spoke again. "You should be with your omega. Keep him safe because as soon as Dmitri gets his hands on him, he is going to fuck him and then tear him apart limb by limb."

Harry lost his control at those words, grabbing the biggest knife and driving it straight through the man's head. He pulled out the blade and drove it through his chest next. A total of thirty four holes were made in the captive's body by the time Nathan placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to calm him down.

"Louis is safe. He is in the office. Our best security members are looking after him." It calmed him down significantly. He threw the knife on the floor and wiped his hands on the cloth Nathan handed him.

"Get me Dmitri," he ordered Samuel and watched the man leave after a nod.

Nathan pulled Harry into his arms, hugging him tight until his wolf went back inside.

Harry rarely let his wolf get the best of him. The creature was dangerous, possessing the blood of an archaic monster. It had a thousand negative traits and only a handful of positive ones. And all those positives could only be properly controlled by Louis. His father had taught him how to tame the wolf ever since he had first presented, but had warned him of the havoc it could wreak.

"Make sure Louis goes straight to my place from work, even if you have to take him there yourself."

"Yes, sir."

-

Finding Dmitri turned out to be a challenge, but nothing that Harry couldn't overcome. It had taken them three days to find the man, during those three days Harry had his men stationed around Louis' flat because the omega straight out refused to even acknowledge his presence, let alone sleep at his house.

He knew that the more the time passed, the more angry the omega got with him. But his main priority was his mate's safety, he could get back in his good graces later. The only thing on his mind was to find out the scum who thought he could take away Harry's happiness.

"How should I kill him, boys?" He asked his men, all of them curiously and eagerly watching the scene. "Should I make it quick and painless, or should I make him scream until his voice gives out?"

Dmitri had learned well to mask his fear. After all, it was Harry who had taught him. But he could always see a crack in the façade; the small tremble, the bead of sweat, the wary eyes, one thing or the other always gave it away.

"I should have killed you back then. Saved us all a whole lot of trouble. Though, I must agree, it was fun to kill the little cult you had accumulated and labelled a gang," he laughed darkly, standing up from the couch and crossing the distance to where Dmitri was hanging upside down from the ceiling. He crouched to be at his eye level, "You are fooling no one. You know your death is near and it scares the shit out of you. The only thought more horrifying is that it is in my hands. I will decide how you die. And know this, I will make you wish you were never born."

-

"You finally remembered that I exist?" Louis snapped as soon as he opened the door.

Harry noticed the boy's red eyes and puffiness around them. His heart twisted at the thought of his omega crying himself to sleep. He had to remind himself that why he was away when he should have been with his mate, when he should have been apologising. He took a step forward but stopped as soon as the omega shrunk back, his heart shattering at the small gesture. "I am sorry, my love. I should have been here sooner. I should have apologised sooner. I have no excuse for why I am late, but I know that it was my fault. We don't have to let anyone know about us. You were right, it doesn't concern anyone that we are mates. It is about you and me. I am sorry, baby. Please forgive me," he pulled the bouquet from behind his back and tried to smile innocently.

"Flowers will not make me forget that I haven't seen you in four days," Louis mumbled, crossing his arms around his middle which made Harry notice that the omega was wearing his jumper. It made his heart sing.

"I know, that's why I also got some chocolates," he pulled the box from his coat, watching a small smile creep onto his mate's lips.

Louis took the box and the bouquet, hugging them to his chest, "Don't bribe me into forgiving you. I am keeping these but I still haven't forgiven you."

"Okay. Am I allowed inside?"

Louis looked at him with a barely contained smile before stepping aside.

Harry closed and locked the door behind himself, smiling as he watched the omega place the flowers in a vase. He walked over to him, maintaining a little distance as Louis still hadn't allowed him to touch him.

The omega unwrapped one chocolate from the box and nibbled on it before popping it into his mouth.

Harry kept watching him in silence, noticing how the omega's face morphed into a big smile whenever he unwrapped a hazelnut chocolate.

"Stop staring at me like a creep," Louis mumbled with a smile, covering the distance separating them and wound his arms around Harry's middle.

Harry held onto him with his life, burying his nose in the omega's neck and inhaling the scent he had missed dearly. Louis was latching onto him just as fiercely and he could feel the omega's tears against his skin.

"I am so sorry, baby. I am so sorry."

"Don't disappear like this ever again," Louis sniffed.

"I promise, I will never do such a thing again," their lips met softly at first before dissolving into an all consuming kiss.

"I love you," Louis broke their kiss to whisper the words before kissing him again.

Harry felt warmth spread through his whole body, a sense of peace filling his mind. He could barely contain his smile while the omega chased his lips. "I love you, too," he confessed between their kiss.

When their lips parted, they rested their forehead against other's, treasuring the relief of having each other back.

"Where were you? I missed you so much. Nathan wouldn't tell me and I couldn't ask anyone at the office," Louis' eyes were sad and Harry hated himself for that.

"I will tell you everything, my love, but first you need to eat. I can tell you haven't been taking care of yourself."

-

Harry had made Louis sit on the couch when the omega had asked the question again. He kept a little space between them as he braced himself before telling everything to Louis.

"I suppose you will hate me after this and would want nothing with me, so just let me say it again. I love you, I am in love with you, and I would do anything you ask of me if that means you stay in my life-"

"Harry-"

"- I have murdered people, more than I can remember. I have been doing this since I was eighteen, and I tried to stop. I tried to stop so badly when I turned twenty-one because I got this beautiful mark on my wrist, because that meant that I had to be the best person for my mate. But I couldn't. In order to make sure that the people I love were safe, I had to become this monster. My father died at the hands of a mob leader and to ensure that no one in my family ever suffered that, I became one of them and made my way to the top.

"The night before we had our argument, someone broke into your flat," Harry noticed the horrified look on Louis' face and moved closer in hopes that the omega wouldn't pull away from him. Louis went willingly, letting Harry pull him into his arms. "Their intention was to take you away from me. The last four days, I spent them ensuring that no one ever tried to hurt you. And I would gladly do it all again if it meant that no harm came to you."

Harry couldn't read the expression on Louis' face. The omega was watching him with such intensity, he would have thought that Louis hated him if it wasn't for the fact that he was still in Harry's arms.

Fear crept into his veins as Louis pulled away from him. For the first time in his life he could feel what being scared was. Losing his mate would tear his soul apart.

"Lou..."

"I-- I need some time... to think. I need to process all this."

"Okay."

"You should leave, Harry. Go, please."

"Louis-"

"Please, Harry. Just go. I can't-- I don't want you here."

Harry could feel his eyes watering. He knew that this would happen if he told the truth to Louis. But he couldn't hide it all any longer, Louis deserved to know everything about him, even if it meant that he could lose his mate.

He cleared his throat and nodded without meeting the omega's eyes. He tried not to let himself think on the drive back to his place. His wolf was already clawing at his chest, whining in pain. With every other being the wolf could be vicious and take whatever it wanted, but with his omega he would reduce to nothing but a loyal mate.

-

Harry's wolf had broken the connection with him, had shut him out while it went into hiding.

He hadn't heard Louis' voice all week. The omega refused to look at him, or even be in the same room as him while at work. He would never push Louis into talking to him, though. He respected the omega's wishes and kept his distance.

When Nathan had told him that Louis had been staying at Liam's place, it had made Harry's blood boil, but he couldn't interfere, couldn't stop the omega even if all his instincts were telling him to get his mate back. That had been the moment when his wolf had loathed him and shut him out.

He was gripping the bridge of his nose, contemplating his every decision in life when a knock sounded at his office door.

"Come in," he spoke without looking up, his voice gruff from not speaking since morning.

"Harry," the melodic voice floated into the open space, making the alpha's head jerk up.

"Lou...," he got up on his feet in an instant, covering the distance between them. "You are here."

"I- I need to ask you something," Louis spoke uncertainly, crossing a single arm across his middle.

"Okay."

The omega gulped and looked up at him, "Will you ever hit me if you get mad at me?"

"No!" Harry felt like someone had punched him in his gut, "I would never do that, my love. Never."

Louis looked at him for a long time, searching his face for answers before nodding. "Can I stay with you? I-- we still have a lot to talk and I need some more answers, but-- I don't feel safe at my place, I don't feel safe without you... and I miss you."

"Of course you can stay with me."

The omega covered the small step between them, "Can I hug you?"

Harry enveloped Louis in his arms, feeling his wolf emerging from hiding and relishing the moment, "I missed you, too."

-

Harry had to stay late for a business meeting and he texted Louis to tell him that. It was eight in the evening by the time he reached home and was delighted to know that Louis was already there.

The omega was wrapped in a blanket on the couch and was watching some show Harry didn't recognise.

"Hey," he tapped Louis' shoulder, smiling back at the omega, "I'll take a shower and then we can talk."

Louis nodded and placed a kiss at the hand that was still on his shoulder, "Don't take too long."

Harry's wolf sighed in bliss upon entering the bedroom. It smelled like the omega again and most of his belongings were there already.

He hurried with a shower and joined Louis on the couch, letting the omega adjust against him however he wished to. Louis settled on cuddling into his side, throwing one leg over Harry's and burying his face in the alpha's neck.

"I don't know what to say, all I know is that I want to be here with you," Louis spoke after a while.

"I want that, too, my love."

"Promise me something," he continued when Harry nodded, "We will never hide anything from each other, we will be honest to each other, and we will never hurt each other."

"I promise."

"Don't take this lightly."

"I am not, baby. I meant it when I said I would do anything to have you in my life. And these promises, I would have made them and kept them anyway. I would never ever hurt you in my life."

"Okay," Louis shifted to align their lips, kissing like that was the first and the last thing he wanted to do for every day in the future. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

-

"My mum and dad are not soul mates," Louis told him that night as they laid naked under the covers. The omega was tracing the ink on Harry's torso, chin propped on his other hand.

Harry hummed, busy admiring the lashes fanning the omega's cheeks with each flutter of his eyes.

"Yeah. My mum was mated to my birth father. But he was abusive, not physically, but verbally. He would drink and shout at us, he would take whatever my mum earned and gamble it away. I was five years old then, I understood only a little of what happened. But even then I knew mum should have left him," Louis shook his head, Harry was listening carefully now, knowing how difficult it must be for the omega to recall all this. "She would just smile and shake her head whenever I asked her why we couldn't leave. She was tolerating him and she was miserable. It was when he threatened to hit me if I didn't stop laughing while watching t.v. that she had had enough. We left that night and she broke her bond with him and we never looked back."

Louis peeked up from where he was staring at his own soul mark, "That's why I was so against having a soulmate. But you turned out to be different, and I am so happy I didn't let that man ruin what I have with you."

"I am sorry, baby," that was all Harry could say, closing the small gap to kiss his mate. He pondered over what Louis had told him and all of it made sense now. The omega's initial repulsion, his mother's wariness, the reason why Marcus had decided to leave the country and not let Harry find Louis. "Is this why you asked me if I-- if I would ever hurt you?" He asked with an aching heart.

Louis nodded, his eyes forlorn, "I was confused and I didn't want to go through all that gain. I-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, my love. You were right to take your time away from me and decide whatever you wanted. I would have respected your decision even if it had broken my heart."

"I know that," Louis smiled, "That's why I am here."

"Move in with me. Completely. No more running away from each other."

"Okay," Louis nodded enthusiastically, clearly not needing any more persuasion. He climbed over the alpha and kissed him deeply, making Harry growl and flip them over for another round.

-

_Epilogue_

Louis did get the job at the end of internship and with no interference on Harry's side. Harry was proud of his omega and for celebration planned a weekend away from everyone.

Over the months, Harry had grown to tolerate Louis' friends, they were not that bad, it had just been an unfortunate first impression. He still held a little disregard for Liam, though, even if the alpha had maintained his distance and had apologised for his behaviour.

Johannah was a lovely lady. Once she began trusting him, she proved to be a great person and even made Marcus realise his foolishness for trying to separate Louis from him.

Louis met Harry's family over their first Christmas together. To say the least, his family was in love with his mate.

They touched down in Jamaica at half past six in the evening and decided to check-in to their room, have dinner and rest.

It was a lovely getaway and Louis took the opportunity of the resort having a private beach to get a natural tan while Harry enjoyed the view of his omega lying naked under the sun.

They returned back to London with Louis proudly sporting his two soul marks; one on his wrist, and a new one on his neck.

_**~The End.~** _

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave kudos if you liked it! Let me know in comments what you think of this fic! :)
> 
> (Let me know if any other tag should be added.)
> 
> [Do not translate, copy and/or publish elsewhere.]


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